


lion heart

by redkings



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 14:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8755774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redkings/pseuds/redkings
Summary: As he sits and watches a little girl running around being chased by a puppy and laughing, Mao lets a small chuckle escape himself.
Ritsu cracks an eye open at the sound. “Maa-kun, was that a laugh?” he asks, his voice dripping with sleep.
“Yeah, just a little one,” the other boy replies, smiling at the girl and her dog. “There's a little girl playing with her dog -- wait, what are you doing?”





	

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't written anything in a long while, and i haven't posted on ao3 in an even longer while, so if this. isn't the greatest, i apologize............. i hope u enjoy it though.................

Mao and Ritsu are both seven years old and have not been friends for more than a year or so. However, even at this young age, Mao has already taken to looking after Ritsu and making sure that he's taken care of, even though he knows Ritsu's parents do their job well.

On their daily walks to school, Ritsu will grab Mao by the hand without looking at the other boy, keeping his small smile to himself. At first, it was Mao who who insisted on holding hands while walking to school, as he wanted to make sure that he and Ritsu wouldn't be separated. At the time, Ritsu whined and complained, saying he wouldn't get lost and that he was old enough to look after himself, but after a few weeks, Ritsu begins to take Mao's hand in his own without prompting from the maroon-haired boy. Ritsu will even gently squeeze Mao's hand from time to time whenever he notices Mao stealing a glance at him, which always prompts a deep blush from Mao that almost matches the boy'shair.

It's the middle of summer break now, and Mao and Ritsu are resting together in the park, Mao sitting on a bench with Ritsu's head in his lap. Mao insisted that Ritsu sit up, that it was embarrassing to sit like that in public, but Ritsu, being Ritsu, ignored what he was told and closed his eyes, preparing to take a light nap.

Mao sighs and lets his hand rest on Ritsu's soft dark hair. Since his friend is dozing, Mao has nothing to do but to watch the people going by through the park. 

As he sits and watches a little girl running around being chased by a puppy and laughing, Mao lets a small chuckle escape himself.

Ritsu cracks an eye open at the sound. “Maa-kun, was that a laugh?” he asks, his voice dripping with sleep.

“Yeah, just a little one,” the other boy replies, smiling at the girl and her dog. “There's a little girl playing with her dog -- wait, what are you doing?”

Mao's answer is cut off as Ritsu sits up and stares at him, a small smile of his own forming on his lips. “I've never heard Maa-kun laugh like that before,” the dark-haired boy says. “It was...cute.”

“I-it was just as laugh, Ritsu, nothing special about it…” Mao lets a light, breathy laugh escape him as he looks away from Ritsu, suddenly embarrassed about the attention being put on him.

“Nn...it's the cutest laugh I've ever heard from someone,” Ritsu says, scooting closer to his friend.

Mao laughs again, his voice tinkling like a bell. “Ritsu, we're seven; neither of us have heard a bunch of people laugh before.”

“Mm, that's true…” Ritsu grins and leans forward, invading Mao's space as their noses almost touch. “But I don't care. It's the nicest laugh there is.”

And with that, he kisses him.

It doesn't last very long; they're both young, and it ends up only being an overly long peck on the lips. But when Ritsu pulls away, his cheeks tinted pink, Mao's face looks like it's on fire.

“Th-that was...my first kiss,” he says, trying his best to keep eye contact with his friend before embarrassment takes hold of him and he has to look away.

“Heh...it was mine too,” Ritsu says, bumping his forehead gently against Mao's. “Maa-kun’s laugh was so cute, I couldn't help myself.”

Mao's heart thumps loudly in his chest, and he clears his throat. “W-well, uh. No more kisses in public, okay? We might get in trouble, or...something.”

“Okay, okay,” Ritsu says, his voice making it sound as if he's annoyed, but the lazy beam of his smile betrays him. “I can kiss Maa-kun at home though, right?”

“Uh.” Mao's blush hasn't done anything to lessen itself, and if anything, it grows deeper. “R-right...”

Ritsu's grin also deepens, and he brushes his hand over Mao's fingers. “Let's go back then, yeah?”

Mao nods, his own smile forming on his lips. “Yeah.”


End file.
